Container



Feb. 10,1925.

L. J. slNNoTT CONTAINER Filed July 14 Ilmuil 4111111111 n lill Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.N

`:.Awrmlvon J. SINNOTT, or. CLEVELAND, omo.

CONTAINER.

Application iled July 14, 1922. SeralNo. 575,122.

To all fwzom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, `LAWRENCE J. SIN NoT'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Containers, of which the following is a specification.

The present inventionrelates to containers, and `more particularly to `closures and lockingmeanstherefor.

`An object of this invention is to provide a positive locking means for the container closure, which locking meansmay be easily released to free the closure and may also be` sealed from unauthorized operation so that tampering with the contents of the container maylbereadily detected.` Y

`Another object is to provide a container and closure therefor which may be constructed of metal, or like sheet material, and with `complemental grooves or channels which may register when the closure is in place on the container for receiving a resilient locking ring, and for accommodating and housing a releasing means for flexing the ring out ofone ofthe grooves to release the closure.` y i A still` further object of the invention is i to provide` a container top and closure for fittingin the top, both the top and the closure having registering grooves to receive a flexible "ring having operating lingers at its free ends which engage in a pair of inclined slots formed inthe top of the container for guiding the ring into and out of the grooves for locking and releasing the closure from thetop and for insuring the proper operation of the ring when the. fingers are compressed toward each other.

The above, and various other objects and advantageshof this invention will be in part described in, and in' part understand from,`

the followingf detailed description of the l present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;` i i Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container having a closure fitted to the` top thereof and lockedin position according to the present invention. y l

AUhlig-ure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section throughl theupper end of the container and its lparts, the section" beingV taken through the releasing 1means ofthe device. y

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View in section of a portion of the top and the closure, showing the latter partly removed from the top, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spaced ends of the locking ring, showing operating fingers carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing 10 designates a containerwhich may be of any suitable construction and configuration and which is providedwith a top 11 and a closure 12.

The top 11 may be of sheet metal, of ring form, and stamped or bent to provide an inwardly or downwardly facing channel bead 13 adapted to embrace the upper edge of the side wall of the container 10 and be coinpressed, crimped or otherwise permanently attached thereto.

The top 11 is depressed near its outer mar ginaledge to provide an annular groove 1li which not only provides the formation of the bea'd 13 but which provides ample space for operation of tools or the like for forming and applying the bead 13 to the wall of the container.

The inner4 marginal edge of the ring top 11 is returned beneath the top and in spaced relation to the upper `wall thereof to form an annular pocket or `chamber 15 having a ledge 16, and the metal of the top is returned from the outer edge of the ledge 16 beneath and in spaced relation to the latter to form an annular inwardly opening groove 17.

The closure 12 may also be made of sheet metal and comprises a disc body portion having its marginal edge returned therebeneath and thence bent inwardly at substantially right angles to the body portion to form an annular flange or wall 18 adapted to project down into the central opening of thetopll. The inner or lower end of the wall 18. is bent outwardly at substantially right fangles to thewall, and the metal of the closureI is returned upon itself to provide a wall. 1S orfpdouble thickness, the metal eX- tending upwardly around the marginal edge of the. closure and slightly above the same to form a seating shoulder 19 beneath the marginal edge of the closure disc. The upper portion of the metal is turned outwardly to forma iange 20 adapted to engage the uppersurface of the top 11 for limiting the insertion of the closure 12 throuefh theopening of the top. The upper and lowerportions of the annular wall 18 extend outwardly at substantially right angles thereto to form an annular outwardly ope-ning groove 21 arranged to register with the groove 17. n y

A ring 22 is seated in the grooves 21 and 17, is of resilient material, and of such size as to normally expand so as to lie partly .in each groove 17 and 21 and to thus overlap the annular joint between the top 11 and closure 12. Such arrangement of the ring 22 securely locks the closure in the top and the closure can not be released until the ring 22 is fiexed into one of the grooves 17 or 21.

The ring 22 preferably comprises a resilienteleinent, that shown consisting of a ring shaped bar of rectangular shape in cross section. l A

For the purpose of facilitating the operation of the ring, the latter is provided )near its free ends, as particularly shown inligure 4, with a pair of laterally-extending .fingers 23 having upturned ends 24. The fingers 28 preferably project substantially radially outwardly into the groove 17 of the top 11, their upturned ends 24 being adapted to extend through a pair of inwardly converging' slots 25 which are formed in thel ledge 16 atene side of the top 11,the fingers being rounded upwardly so that the ends 24 thereof may freely enter the slots 25 as the closure 12 is canted or tilted in the act of positioning the same, see Figure 3. rlhese` slots 25 preferably guide the ends 24 during the expansion and contraction of the. ring 22, so as to insure the correct positioning of the ring when in normal expanded position kfor locking the closure. in the top. Then the ring 22 is in this position the upturned ends 24 of the fingers engage the outer ends of the slots 25 so that the ring is held firmly in place. The wall above the linger ends 24, that is, the top 11 when the fingers 23 extend` out-- wardly, is provided with an arcuate opening 2G to facilitate access to the npturned ends 24 of the operating fingers so that said ends 24 may be moved relatively to each other. Such movement of the fingers causes the ends 24 to ride into the inner ends of theslots 25, contracting the ring and holdH ing and guiding it into the groove 21 of the closure, such as sh own in Figure 8, when the closure may then be withdrawn from the top 11. Y

Forthe purpose of preventing unauthorizedrtampering with the contents of the container 10, the top z11 may be provided with a cover plate 27 "for the opening 26, the cover ,plate 27 being of arcuate form and pivoted at 28 atl one end so that the vcover platelmay beswung in an ledgewise` direction overthe opening 26. The free end of the'cover plate 27 is upt'urned and apertuied yto provide an ear 28 which, when the cover plate 27 is closed, engages with a secceive lthe wire 30 of a seal or the like therethrough for holding the ears 29 together to afford a ready means of detection of the opening of the cover plate 27.

` Then the closure 12 is to be removed from the topy the cover plate 27 is swung into an open position asshown in Figure 1. The upturned ends 24 of the operating fmgers 28 may be compressed together to contract the locking ring 22 into the groove 21 of the closure. The closure may now be lifted out of the top 11rby first elevating that portion of the closure which is remote from the operating fingers 23, the latter being swung out of the groove -17y and slots 25 as the closure is tilted and withdrawn.

The locking ring 22 may have oneuedge rounded or beveled so that when placing the closure or cover `12 the ring may be aut-omatically snapped into locked position.

The plate 27 may be secured in position in such manner that it will prevent Eleal/tage through the opening 2,6thereby adapting the container for the shipment of liquids. Any suitable devices may be used for ysecuring the plate in a liquid tight manner to the top 11. p l

lt is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made in thedetails of design andv construction of the labove*specifically described embodiment without'departing from the 'spirit of this invention,l such changes and f modifications` being restricted only by the scope ofthe following claims.

iVhat is claimed is :A l

1. Inv a. container, the combination of a top, a closure fitting said top, said topand closure having complemental grooves adapted to register when the closure is in place. and a locking ringrarranged to overlap the joint between the grooves for locking the closure to the. top, saidloc-king ring'being adapted to be flexed into one of said grooves for releasing vthe closure. i

in acontainer, the combination of a top. a closure fitting .said topksaiditop and closure having complemental grooves ad`a`pted to register when the closure Iis in place. a locking ring fitting in the` grooves and overlapping the joint therebetween for securing the closure to the top, and means accessible from the exterior of theA container' for Aflexing the locking ring into one of said grooves past theI joint to free the closure.

3. In a. container', the combination of a top,v a closure therefor.'said'ptop and closure having' compleinental lgroovesadapted to register when theclosure is inplace, and 'a locking ring fitting in the grooves and adapted'to oif'erlap 4the ,joint therebetween for securing the closure of the top, said'ring having upturned portions at'its free/ends lio and said top having diagonally disposed slots therein to receive said upturned portions for holding the ring normally in locking position, said upturned portions being adapted to be moved in said slots for flexing the ring and the slots being adapted to guide the ring wholly into one groove past said joint for freeing the closure from the top.

Il. In a container, i the combination of a sheet metal top, a sheet metal closure therefor, said top and closure being bent to form annular grooves therein adapted to register when the closure is in position, a resilient locking ring seated i n said grooves and having radially extending fingers or. its free ends adapted to project into the grooves of the top and having their ends upturned, said top having outwardly diverging slots there in above its groove to receive said upturned ends of the fingers for guiding and holding the same in position to maintain the locking ring across the joint of the grooves, said upturned ends beingadapted to be moved in said slots for contracting the ring and the slots being adapted to guide the ring into the grooves of the closure for freeing the latter from the top.

5. In a container, the combination of a ring shaped top of sheet metal bent at its inner marginal portion to provide an annular chamber and an annular inwardly opening groove beneath the chamber, the wall between the chamber and the groove having a pair of inwardly converging slots therein, a closureo-f sheet metal bent at its marginal portion to provide an inwardly extending wall to fit in the opening of the top Vand with an annular outwardly opening groove adapted to register with the groove of the top, an expanding locking ring adapted to fit in the grooves and having outwardly eX- tending and upwardly curved fingers at its lree ends, said fingers being adapted to project into the groove of thetop and through the said slots into the annular chamber for housing the fingers, the ends of said slots being adapted to limit the expansion of the locking ring and hold it across the joint between the grooves, and said slots being adapted to guide the fingers when compressed for directing the locking ring into the groove of the closure when the ring is rzontracted.

6. In a container, the combination of a top, a closure fitting said top, said top and closure having complemental grooves adapted to register when the closure is in place, a locking ring engaged to fit in said grooves and overlap the joint between the grooves, operating means connected to J:he locking ring to release it, and sealing means for the a locking ring adapted to seat in said' grooves' and normally overlie the joint between the Orooves said to havmo a chamze 7 n ber therein above the groove and opening through the u er slde of the to com ressu b c a n lng means connected to the locking ring and projecting into the chamber for access through the open chamber, a cover carried by the top for closing the chamber and housing the compressing means, and seal engaging means carried by the cover and in the top to receive a seating wire there through and retain the cover in place.

8. In a container, the combination of a body having a head comprising a top and a closure formed with aligned grooves in their circumferential edges, a resili ent member fitting said grooves and normally overlapping the joint between said top and closure, and fingers secured to the member adjacent its ends for stressing the member circumferentially, whereby it may be moved into one of said grooves beyond the joint between said top and closure.

9. In a container, the combination of a body having a head comprising a top and a clcsure formed with aligned grooves in their circumferential edges, a resilient member fitting said grooves and normally overlapping the joint between said top and closure, and fingers secured to the member adjacent its ends, and extending laterally for stressing the member circumferentially, whereby it may be moved into one of said grooves be yond the joint between said top and closure, one of the parts of said head being formed with an opening to permit access to said fingers.

10. In a container, the combination of a body having a head comprising a top and a closure formed with aligned grooves in their circumferential edges, and said top being formed with an opening in its surface, a resilient member fitting said grooves and normally overlapping the joint between said top and closure, and fingers secured to the member adjacent its opposite ends and extending laterally outwardly to a point below said opening in the top for stressing the member circumferenti ally, whereby it may be moved into one of said grooves beyond the joint between said top and closure.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LAWRENCE J. SINNOTT. 

